Pressure vapor heat system



Aug. 9, 1966 c. J. GATZA 3,265,304

PRESSURE VAPOR HEAT SYSTEM Filed March 50, 1964 INVENTOR.

United States Patentv O 3,265,304 PRESURE VAPGR HEAT SYSTEM Casper J.Gatza, 304i) Eiston Ave, Chicago, Ill. Fiied Mar. 30, 1964, Ser. No.355,765 4 Claims. (Qi. 237-67) This invention relates to a pressurevapor heat system as applied to ordinary heating plants for houses,apartments, hotels, factories, and other buildings using a common orcentral heating unit which supplies heat periodically or intermittentlyand is usually controlled by one or more thermostats.

An important object of the invention is to provide means in addition toan ordinary heating unit to supply additional heat in the form of vaporor steam in advance of, or more quickly than the regular heat supplyfrom a heating furnace for that purpose, and in addition to the ordinarysupply of heat, subject to the operation of one or more thermostateswhich automatically call for additional heat in some location.

Other objects of the invention are, to reduce smoke stack pressure, anddirt; to provide :an air pump and filter for preheated air; toautomatically open connections from the pump and to prevent backpressure; to reduce smog and noxious vapors by reducing smoke and stackpressure and thereby to eiiect more efficient heating operation and useof coal or oil.

Other and further objects of the invention will be found in thespecification and will be more apparent in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

The single drawing figure is a somewhat sectional and diagrammatic viewof a heating plan-t having a vaporizer booster operating in accordancewith this invention.

In the operation of an ordinary boiler heating system, heat may besupplied continuously or intermittently, either steam or hot air, but isoften somewhat slow, or ponderous, in responding to a special orlocalized call for more heat by manual, or automatic means such as athermostat. This invention provides means in the form of a vapor boosterfor more quickly supplying heat than from the main heating system, andthereby achieving all advantages which may result from the quickaddition of a smaller body of heat which utilizes stack heat andpressure, and is applied to a particular part, or in fact toall of thedevices which use the heat.

For many years the oil burner industry has been faced with the problemof making an efiicient oil burner installation in a conversion job whichmeans installing an oil burner in an ordinary cast iron boiler designedfor coal firing. This may be done in various degrees by utilizing thevapor most effectively in the steam line in turning the heat off and on;by taking heat directly from the smoke stack and applying it to thevapor on top of the steam chamber in the boiler, and by quicklyutilizing a portion of the heat obtained from an effective boosterlocated in the fire box and usually interposed between the burner andthe bottom of the boiler, delivering heat directly to the steam lineleading to the radiators.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, an ordinarysteam heating boiler is shown with a fire pct 12 has a burner 14 for oilfrom a motor 16 supplying it from a supply tank 18. Leading from the topof the fire pot is a stack 20 for hot flue gases which are usuallydissipated or lost, the residue usually issuing from a chimney 22 in theform of smoke and hot gases.

At the top of the boiler is a dome 24 containing a reservoir 26 for hotwater 28, with a steam and vapor pipe 30 leading therefrom to a numberof heat radiators 32 each having an inlet from the pipe 30 at one endand an outlet discharge control valve 33 at the other end. A system ofthis kind is usually operated intermittently, con- 3,255,304 PatentedAugust 9, 1966 tinuously, or in response to ordinary thermostaticcontrol which is not included. To this type of heating installation, thepresent invention is applied, particularly in a conversion installationfor oil or gas as a fuel, using one or all of the methods for usingsteam vapor directly, heating it by stack gases, or with a booster.

If only a relatively small amount of heat correction is needed apressure pump 34 may be connected by one end of a pipe 36 extending intothe vapor pipe 30 for drawing vapors therefrom and blowing them out ofthe other end through a venturi 38 outwardly in the pipe 30. A butterflyvalve 40 is located in the pipe 30 between the upper and lower ends ofthe pipe 36 and has an electric motor 42 outside of pipe 30 for openingand closing the valve.

A vapor pressure switch 44 is actuated by vapor or steam pressure in thepipe 30 and causes the butterfly valve 40 to operate on about one ounceor more of pressure to let steam vapors flow through. A temperatureswitch 46 is also located on the pipe 30 actuated -by steam vaporstherein at about or more which leads to and starts the air pressure pump34 to blow the vapors through the venturi 38.

This venturi releases the steam pressure from the pump 34 into the mainpipe 30 and causes a partial vacuum on the lower pressure end of thepipe 30 line when the motorized butterfly valve 40 is closed.

Thus even a little pressure will cause the heat from the boiler in thesteam vapor to initiate a flow of heating vapor to flow through thismotor operated venturi by-pass to start supplying heat quickly and tomaintain such a flow of heat when the main body water and steam isactually decreasing, thus tending to equalize the heating effect.

In utilizing heat from the stack 20, a heat-transfer pipe 43 preferablyextends lengthwise therein with its lower end opening outwardly througha filter 50, and its upper end extending through the stack, with anoutwardly and downwardly air projecting line tube 52 terminating inanother filter 54. This filtered end is connected by a pipe 56 with theupper steam dome reservoir 26 through a pressure blower 58 having amotor 58, and through a check valve 62 having a motor 64.

The blower motor 64 takes filtered air from the tube 52 and delivers itthrough the motorized valve 62 under pressure to the reservoir 26 and iselectrically controlled by a thermostat 66 and a pressure switch 68 bothin direct contact with the interior of the main heating pipe 30.Motorized check valve 62 admits filtered air from the pump 64 to thesteam boiler and pipe 30 and acts as a check valve to prevent air andsteam from backing up on the blower 58 and is electrically controlled bythe same thermostat 66 and pressure switch 68.

With this construction the stack temperature is imparted to the heattransfer pipe 48, and clean air is forced by the blower 58 into the mainheating pipe 30 as controlled by the check valve 62, thus utilizing thetemperature of the stack 20 gases for additional heating, reducing thestack temperature, and materially reducing the gases and smoke whichpasses out the chimney 22. A further and continuing supply of heat isthereby automatically supplied to the main heating pipe 30 and theradiator 32 utilizing the extra stack heat which would ordinarily bewasted, and continuing the heating eiiect supplied by the main heatingboiler 10.

To more quickly supply heat a booster heat construction may beinterposed in the fire pot 12 between the burner 14 and hot water 28 inthe boiler, comprising a booster generator '70 usually composed ofbrass, copper, or some material which transfers heat more efficientlythan cast iron or steel. This generator is connected at its top by apipe 72 with the top of a steam vapor separator 74 which extends at oneside of the boiler 10 and extends both above and below the upper surfaceline of water 28 therein, and has a water level equalizer connection 76to maintain the same level in the boiler and vaporizer.

At the bottom of the vaporizer is a motor pump 78 connected to thebooster generator 70 by a pipe 80, Whereby water and vapor is forced bythe pump through the booster generator 70 into the top of the separator74 above the water level. A vapor or steam pipe 82 extends from the topof the separator '74 into the main heating pipe 30, and directs thevapor through this pipe, the water separating therefrom and droppinginto the lower body of the separator 74.

The booster action is that steam is more quickly formed in the generator70 mixed with water which is separated therefrom to allow the vapor toflow in pipe 82 to the main heater pipe 30 and to its radiators. Withthis construction heat is more quickly applied for use when the burneris started, and until the main body of water in the boiler becomessuificiently heated to furnish steam or vapor. This is also moreefficient use of the heat resulting in a more equal distribution, andactual 1y shortening the running time and thereby reducing the amount ofnoxious gas, smoke, and air pollution.

This system lowers stack temperature 150 to 300 degrees from stacks thatwere 700 to 900 degrees. By absorbing heat the booster action is like asponge taking up and transferring heat to the radiators in the shortestpossible time, shortening the operating period of the burner, bringingmore comfort in the rooms.

In this system a large portion of the heat produced is utilized, asobtained more quickly from the boster action, from the main boileritself, from the heat of the stack, and from the heat of vapor beforeand after the production of steam, all resulting in prolonging orevening the heating effect. Steam has a temperature of about 212degrees, but the vapor operation of this system may become and remainefiective at about 190 degrees, thus resulting in a more even orameliorating action resulting in greater comfort as well as preventingthe loss of heat.

Each radiator 32 may be adjusted to allow more or less heat to passtherethrough, or to be closed, by its control valve 33.

While this system has been described in some detail with combinedbooster, stack reduction, and venturi vapor supply, in connection with atypical heating boiler operation, it should not be restricted in detail,as many other changes in the construction, combination and arrangementof the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. In a one pipe pressure heat vapor system, the combination with awater heating boiler having a water dome,

a fire box and a burner therein, a smoke stack extending from the firebox, and a main heating pipe with radiators connected to the boiler; ofa heat booster generator between the burner and water in the dome, aseparator for water and vapor, and a vapor connection to the said mainheating pipe; a stack heater having a heat transfer mem-.

her in the stack, and means for forcing heated air from the member intothe top of the dome to heat vapors therein and force them into the mainheating pipe; and a vapor pump connected to the main heating pipe with amotor to force steam vapor through a venturi into the said pipe at atemperature less than that of steam, to add its heating efiect to theradiators; the booster, stack and vapor heaters all connected with themain heating pipe and adding their heating effect to that of the Waterheating boiler to prolong and equalize it, and to reduce the stacktemperature which is due to the operation of the burner.

2. In a system in accordance with claim 1, the heat booster generatorbeing connected With a vapor and water separator connected for waterlevel with that of water in the dome,'and having an upper delivery pipefrom the generator, and a vapor pipe extending from the top of theseparator to the main heading pipe to deliver vapor under pressure, thewater being heavier and falling into the bottom of the separator, thebooster acting more quickly in furnishing heat than the water in theboiler heated by the burner.

3. In a system in accordance with claim 1, the stack heater comprising afiltered air passage extending from the outside of the stack through andoutside thereof and a motorized valve with thermostatic control means toit and to said means for forcing heated air through the valve when thestack sufiiciently heats the air to add it to the top of the dome andsaid main heating pipe, the said valve closing to prevent air flowingbackwardly through it, the heated air being forced into the main heatingpipe to assist the heating effect of the heating boiler and its burner.

4-. In a system in accordance with claim 1, the vapor pump beingconnected to the main heating pipe, and comprising a motorized butterflyvalve in the pipe, and a passage comprising a venturi extending toopposite sides of the butterfly valve and having a driving motorconnected to force vapor from the higher pressure side of said valvethrough the passage and venturi to the lower pressure side thereofadding to the usable heat in said main heating pipe at less than theactual steam forming temperature, and thermostatic means from the saidmain pipe to the butterfly valve motor and to said driving motor to addthe heat thereof to the said main thereby equalizing the total heatingelfect on said radiators.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,046,813 7/1936Dunham et al 237-12 2,103,770 12/1937 Dunham et al 237-1 2,109,8623/1938 Kriechbaum 23611 X 2,131,555 9/1938 Dunham et al 237-67 2,284,6746/1942 Murdock 236-11 X EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A ONE PIPE PRESSURE HEAT VAPOR SYSTEM, THE COMBINATION WITH AWATER HEATING BOILER HAVING A WATER DOME, A FIRE BOX AND A BURNERTHEREIN, A SMOKE STACK EXTENDING FROM THE FIRE BOX, AND A MAIN HEATINGPIPE WITH RADIATORS CONNECTED TO THE BOILER; OF A HEAT BOOSTER GENERATORBETWEEN THE BURNER AND WATER IN THE DOME, A SEPARATOR FOR WATER ANDVAPOR, AND A VAPOR CONNECTION TO THE SAID MAIN HEATING PIPE; A STACKHEATER HAVING A HEAT TRANSFER MEMBER IN THE STACK, AND MEANS FOR FORCINGHEATED AIR FROM THE MEMBER INTO THE TOP OF THE DOME TO HEAT VAPORSTHEREIN AND FORCE THEM INTO THE MAIN HEATING PIPE WITH A VAPOR PUMPCONNECTED TO THE MAIN HEATING PIPE WITH A